Doorknob



Aug. 8, 1950 N. H. SEAHOLM DOORKNOB Filed May 24, 1948 INVENTOR NEL5 hf 5EAH04M ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 8, 1950 DOOR-KNOB Nels H. Seaholm, SierraMadre, -Oalif., assignor to Carl A. Hillgren, Huntington Park, Calif.

Application May 24, 1948, Serial No. 28,825

This invention relates to a door knob.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a door knob consisting of a thin outer shell member, a reinforcing core member anchored therein, and a cap secured to the outer end of the shell member over the outer end of the core member, in such a manner that the cap is tightly secured or crimped at its periphery to the shell comprising the main knob member.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a novel and rigid seam for securing a concealing or cap member to the inner and outer sides of an opening in a knob, or other member, an important object also consisting in the securing of said members together by reason of the construction of a core member which is also se cured to the knob member and the cap.

An important object also of this invention is the provision of a novel and simple means of securing the core member of a knob of this class within the shell comprising or forming the outer element of the door knob.

A further important object of this invention is the provision of a novel, simple, and economical method of fabricating a door knob.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear hereinafter, I have devised a door knob having certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts and portions, as will be hereinafter described in detail, and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon, which form a part of this application; in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal view of a door knob, partly in section and partly in elevation, embodying my invention in a preferred form;

Fig. 2 is an outer end view thereof, with portions broken away and in section to facilitatethe illustration V I Fig. 3 is a sectional View of the inner end portion thereof, with this section taken through 3-3 of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 4 is a partially exploded side viewthereof, with the portions partly in section, and showing by dotted lines the knob member before securing the core member in place, and also showingthe cap before being secured in place over the end of the knob member.

The door knob shown in the drawings consists essentially of only three members, namely, a main or outer door knob member 1, a core or core member 2, and a cap 3.

The knob member I is preferably pressed or spun from sheet metal with an oblate spheroidal 7 Claims. 292-347) portion i forming the outer end portion of the knob, and with a substantially conically-shaped ferrule U at the inner portion. In its substantially completely formed shape, the outer end portion of the knob member, that is, the outer side of the oblate spheroid-shaped outer end, has a relatively large central opening i which is coaxial with the knob. I'he inner side of this oblate spheroidal portion has an annular shoulder i which is substantially normal to the axis of the knob, and which is of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the opening 4, as

shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and as will be more spe-,

cificially referred to hereinafter.

The core member 2 has a substantially cylin drical portion 2 at its outer end and a reduced conical portion 2 inwardly thereof. The cylindrical or annular portion 2 is enlarged and is designed to fit within the enlarged oblate spheroidal portion II of the knob member while the portion 2 fits against the inner wall of the ferrule portion l of the knob member.

In the end of the cylindrical or annular portion 2 of the core member is an annular groove- 2 which is of semi-circular cross-section. The inner edge 2 of the groove is positioned radially inwardly of the edge of the opening l, while the radially outer edge 2 of the groove 2 is positioned radially outwardly of such edge of the opening, that is, behind or at the inner side of the wall surrounding the opening i The cap 3, before being secured to or forming a part of the knob, is cup shaped, that is, it has an inwardly extending annular flange 3 which is positioned at a slight distance inwardly fromthe periphery of the cap, as shown in Fig. 4. When secured in position to the knob member i and the core 2, the flange is curled inwardly and assumes a shape shown in Fig. 1. In this position, the peripheral portion of the cap embraces both the inner and outer sides of the portion of the knob member surrounding the opening l.

The knob member i is formed with a cup at its outer end before the core member 2 is inserted. The surrounding flange or side wall of the cup is cylindrical, as shown by A in Fig. 4. After the" core 2' is inserted, the side wall or flange is folded inwardly with the inner edge substantially over themiddle portion of the groove 2.

The cap 3 is positioned over the end of the knob with a flange 3 inserted into the opening i of the knob member I and into the groove 2 The cap is then forced into position by placing the inner side of the oblate spheroidal portion of the knob member, that is, theannular shoulder i ever an annular anvil, and then applying force against the outer side of the cap 3 at the portion indicated by the arrows B.

The core member 2 has, at its inner end, an axial portion 2 having a keyed or polygonal opening 2 whereby the knob is secured to a lock spindle. This portion 2 is shown as extending inwardly beyond the inner end of the ferrule, and is provided with longitudinal grooves 2 at its opposite sides. The inner end of the ferrule has ears I which are bent inwardly into the grooves 2 thereby more rigidly securing the knob member I to the core member.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a door knob, a knob member having an oblate spheroid-shaped outer end portion with an axial opening in the outer end, an annular core anchored within said outer end portion of the knob member, the outer end of the core having an annular groove of substantially semicircular cross-section, the radially inner edge of the groove being located radially inwardly from the edge of the opening and the radially outer edge of the groove being positioned behind the end portion of the knob member and an end cap having a peripheral flange extending into the opening and located within the groove, the peripheral outer portion of the cap and the inner portion of the flange embracing, respectively, the outer and inner sides of the edge portion of the knob member forming the opening.

2. In a door knob, a sheet metal knob member formed as a surface of revolution and having an oblate spheroidshaped outer end portion with an axial opening in the outer end, an annular core anchored within said outer end portion of the knob member, a portion Of the outer end of the core extending radially inwardly of the edge of the opening, the outer end of the core having an annular groove of substantially semi-circular cross-section, the radially inner edge of the groove being located radially inwardly from the edge of the opening and the radially outer edge of the groove being positioned behind the end portion of the knob member, and an end cap having a peripheral flange extending into the opening and located within the groove, the peripheral outer portion of the cap and the inner portion of the flange embracing, respectively, the outer and inner sides of the edge portion of the knob member forming the opening.

3. In a door knob, a knob member having an oblate spheroid-shaped outer end portion with an axial opening in the outer end, the inner portion of the knob member having a ferrule converging towards its inner end, an annular core member anchored within said outer end portion of the knob member, the outer end of the core member being enlarged and fitting partially within said spheroid-shaped end and having a reduced inner end fitting within said ferrule, the outer end of the core member having an annular groove of substantially semi-circular crosssection, the radially inner edge of the groove being located radially inwardly from the edge of the opening and the radially outer edge of the groove being positioned behind the end portion of the knob member, and an end cap having a peripheral flange extending into the opening and located within the groove, the peripheral outer portion of the cap and the inner portion of the flange embracing, respectively, the outer and inner sides of the edge portion of the knob member forming the opening.

4. In a door knob, a knob member having an oblate spheroid-shaped outer end portion with an axial openin in the outer end, an annular core anchored within said outer end portion 01 the knob member, the outer end of the core having an annular groove of substantially semi-circular cross-section, the radially inner edge of the groove being located radially inwardly from the edge of the opening and the radially outer edge of the groove being positioned behind the end portion of the knob member, the knob member having an annular shoulder at the inner side of the oblate spheroid-shaped portion and of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the opening, and an end cap having a peripheral flange extending into the opening and located within the groove, the peripheral outer portion of the cap and the inner portion of the flange embracing, respectively, the outer and inner sides of the edge portion of the knob member forming the opening.

5. In a door knob, a knob member having an oblate spheroid-shaped outer end portion with an axial opening in the outer end, the inner portion of the knob member having a ferrule converging towards its inner end, an annular core member anchored within said outer end portion of the knob member, the outer end of the core member being enlarged and fitting partially within said spheroid-shaped end and having a reduced inner end fitting within said ferrule, the outer end of the core member having an annular roove of substantially semicircular cross-section, the radially inner edge of the groove being located radially inwardly from the edge of the opening and the radially outer edge of the groove being positioned behind the end .portion of the knob member, and an end cap having a peripheral flange extendin into the opening and located within the groove, the peripheral outer portion of the cap and the inner portion of the flange embracing, respectively, the outer and inner sides of the edge portion of the knob member forming the opening, the inner end of the core member extending inwardly of the ferrule and provided with longitudinal grooves at its diametrically opposite sides, the inner end of the ferrule having ears extending into said grooves.

6. In a door knob, a knob member having an enlarged outer end portion and a ferrule at its inner portion, the side walls of the ferrule converging towards the inner end of the knob member, the outer end of the knob member having an axial opening, a core member anchored within said knob member, and an end cap secured at its peripheral portion to the inner and outer sides of the edge portion of the opening, the inner end of the core member extending inwardly of the ferrule and provided with longitudinal grooves at its diametrically opposite sides,

the inner end of the ferrule having ears extendthe outer end, and folding the edge of the cup inwardly over the outer end of the core member and partially over the groove therein, forming a cap with an annular flange at its inner side, inserting the inner end of the flange into the opening at the outer end of the knob member and into the inner radial portion of said groove, and then pressing said cap toward the knob member by applying a compression force between the outer side of the cap and the inner side of the enlarged outer portion of the knob member and thereby rolling the flange against the inner wall of the knob member at the portion surrounding the opening therein and thereby causing the cap to embrace the outer and inner sides of the knob member around said opening.

NELS H. SEAHOLM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 354,607 Matthews Dec.. 21, 1886 407,817 Case July 30, 1889 1567,954 Kalm Dec. 29, 1925 10 1,687,531 Verse Oct. 16, 1928 2,273,190 Harrison Feb. 17, 1942 2,326,646 Hillgren Aug 10, 1943 

